


By Any Other Name

by hyliank8



Series: Sanster Experiment AU Collection [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU travelling, Abuse, Angst, Blood, Graphic Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, OH shit i almost forgot this warning tho, Parallel Universes, Rescue Mission, Rescued!Sanster Experiment AU, Sanster Experiment AU, Serious Injuries, ha did u rly think we were gonna get thru a fic without using that tag., i'll add more tags later my hands & brain hurt rn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:26:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28808052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyliank8/pseuds/hyliank8
Summary: Gaster travels across parallel universes to rescue S-01 from his abuser.He should have gotten there faster.(Sanster Experiment AU)
Relationships: W. D. Gaster & Sans, W. D. Gaster/Sans
Series: Sanster Experiment AU Collection [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905070
Comments: 20
Kudos: 37





	By Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> i am SO fucking high right now and i am NOT editing this sober u get this straight from the horse’s mouth. or something 
> 
> i'm weak. rescued!experiment au has been livin rent-free on me brain,,, Gib Me The Angst
> 
> i love u addy ur writing productivity inspires me

“Oh my god.”

Gaster stares numbly at the awful scene before him, barely able to process what he’s seeing. Distantly, he recognizes the fact that the holding cell is a disaster. The old mattress in the center of the room looks like its been ripped to shreds, there are papers scattered everywhere, and a broken clipboard lay on the opposite side of the room. Pieces of torn fabric litter the ground along with... specks of blue. Of purple. Of red.

But that even doesn’t matter.

No, the only thing that matters to Gaster is the small skeleton lying bare-boned on his side, just beside the ruined mattress. 

His bones are thinner than what Gaster knew was possible, and he can barely tell what color they used to be underneath the huge bruises marring their surface. Gaster stumbles forward. He’s finally able to see the extent of the damage as he draws closer, and he has to fight down the bile that rises in his throat almost immediately— most of his ribs are broken, and the two bottommost ones are... completely snapped off and lying beside his terrifyingly-still body. Small specks of dust from the brutal injuries float to the floor. There are countless fractures in his other bones, too. In particular, his pelvis... is covered in wide cracks, as though someone tried to pull it apart, and a sickening purple fluid sticks to his ilia and his spine. Blood and Magic is beginning to gather on the ground beneath where he lay.

“C-Comic Sans...?” Gaster’s voice breaks on what would have been his real name.

Gaster falls to his kneels beside the poor skeleton, his magic searing with silent terror in his soul. No, no... this can’t be right. Sans said today was a day that the Doctor was supposed to leave his experiment to rest—that’s how his strict schedule works, that’s how it’s _always_ worked. But he’s already been here, he’s been in here and he’s...

They should have known. With the Doctor’s rising LV and his increasing unpredictability, this was _bound_ to happen. They should have _known_. Why couldn't they just have worked _faster_?!

Gaster’s soul surges with hope when the small monster’s hand twitches against the floor.

“Comic... can you hear me?” He keeps his voice gentle, but it’s impossible to stop it from wavering.

A tiny, tortured whimper seeps through the small monster’s teeth. The agony behind the sound hurts Gaster’s soul, but he’s flooded with relief regardless at the indication that his damaged soul hasn’t yet Fallen.

Gaster is terrified of jarring Comic’s injuries, but he _has_ to move him before his soul dwindles away further. He gathers the small monster into his arms as carefully as he can, and his soul flutters with worry as that movement jars a weak, tormented cry out of him.

His eye sockets crack open— he seems to be at least partially conscious, and aware that he’s being taken somewhere. Tears have gathered in his eye sockets, and his eyelights are hazy with pain.

“m...mer....cy....” the poor monster croaks weakly. “pl...ease....”

His voice is so delicate that if Gaster had breathed too loudly, he would have missed it.

The scientist’s soul clenches in sympathy. How... how long was this poor monster begging for mercy, as his creator tortured him, beat him, used him like a toy? 

“I’m not going to hurt you, Comic,” Gaster murmurs, the tightness in his chest making it difficult for him to speak. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” He rises, taking Comic up with him. Gaster pulls the small body closer to him, nesting him delicately against his chest.

“i’m.... s...orry.... pl....ease....” 

Gaster’s magic burns in his soul in protest of the apology— the fact that Comic is _apologizing_ after all he’s been through makes him feel sick. 

He’s seen Comic apologize like this before. When he and Sans were stuck behind a computer screen before the machine was finished, powerless to do anything but watch from the alternate universe’s camera feed as the Doctor held the helpless skeleton down. Gaster has heard the broken words fall from his mouth before, between pained gasps of breath and cruel grunts from his creator of _you’re a worthless disappointment_ and _you deserve this pain, you_ _deserve_ _it_.

Gaster won’t let him be hurt again.

“It’s going to be okay." He fights to keep his voice steady. He has to be strong. 

For him. 

"I’ve got you.”

**Author's Note:**

> ehehehehe pain. for the record this has not been proofread bc i can't focus enough 2 read 600 words rn so if there are typos and misspelts and repeating words i apologize
> 
> i will add tumblr/twitter links L8R  
> ([ twitter](https://twitter.com/K8Maybe), [tumblr](https://hyliantimelordin221b.tumblr.com/))
> 
> if u comment i lov u. so much


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